About us

Dignity is a human right

Swags for Homeless and the Backpack Bed® was awarded Australia’s highest honour – the Best Community Organisation by the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Backpack Bed for Homeless (formerly known as Swags for Homeless) is a nationally accredited charity in Australia and is winner of 2011 Australian Human Rights award for best Community Organisation; Australia’s highest honor. Founder Tony Clark and his wife Lisa designed the live saving Backpack Bed to give dignity to homeless turned away from shelter.

Testament to success. In July 2014, Backpack Bed for Homeless established an independent US charity based in Nashville Tennessee. Thanks to US pro bono assistance the charity now awaits 501c3 status.

It is no mean feat, governments around the world have yet to figure out how to give dignity and protect the human rights of people sleeping on the street. Yet, the internationally acclaimed Backpack Bed has proven; by the support of over 400 homeless authorities and 1000’s of homeless, to improve the health, dignity and comfort of those sleeping on our streets, under bridges and throughout our citiies.

The Backpack Bed has been awarded seven product design awards including the Worlds largest and most prestigious product design award; the German 2011 Red Dot “Best of the Best”. The Backpack Bed was chosen from 4433 products from 60 countires. The Backpack Bed has been acquired 4 international museums.

Our Goals are:

To nationally improve, support and bring back dignity to homeless people

To establish, conduct and manage projects focused on the homeless

To assist and conduct social welfare and relief work including relief of poverty, sickness, suffering and misfortune.

United Nations Global Compact

The charity is a signatory to the UN Global Compact. We follow the 10 principles in the areas of:

Human Rights

Labour

Environment

Anti-corruption

How it started…

The original idea was to raise money to allow us to manufacture and distribute Backpack Beds to street sleeping homeless people. But then… The general public demanded to buy the Backpack Bed for themselves As a result Backpack Bed for Homeless expanded our fundraising model to include social enterprise.

Donations from the public

Manufacture Backpack Beds

Distribute them to the homeless

What is social enterprise?

It means that we sell goods to the gereral public and all the profits from the sales go directly to helping us distribute Backpack Beds to homeless people.
and uses the funds raised to support their chairtable work.

Public support via donations and purchases

We make Backpack Beds

Our welfare agency partners work with homeless

Street sleeping homeless given Backpack Bed

Professionally registered with:

Human Rights Award Winners 2011

Swags for Homeless was awarded the prestigious Human Rights Award for non-government or community organisations with a proven track record in promoting and advancing human rights in Australian Communities.

Financial Responsibility

Swags for Homeless is a nationally accredited charity in Australia. View our official Government registered details. Swags for Homeless is audited every year by an ASIC Government registered auditor. http://www.asic.gov.au/

Backpack Bed for Homeless is a fully accredited Australian national charity.